Itzhak Perlman returns to the Alys Stephens Center stage as the star of the 2017 VIVA HEALTH Starlight Gala on Sunday, May 21, 2017, 6 PM.

He is treasured by audiences throughout the world who respond not only to his remarkable artistry, but also to his irrepressible joy for making music. Perlman has been honored with 16 Grammy Awards, four Emmy Awards, a Kennedy Center Honor, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, a Genesis Prize and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest honor in 2015. Tickets include a pre-performance cocktail reception. A VIP dinner is also available. To purchase the VIP package, call our Development Office at 205 975 4012. BUY TICKETS

Itzhak Perlman returns to the Overture Center for Arts on Saturday. April 29, 2017. It’s been five years since his last sold out performance. His longtime pianist, Rohan DeSilva will be joining him in recital.

The violinist’s Madison program will feature works by a variety of composers. Selections include: Vivaldi’s “Sonata in A Major for Violin Continuo Op. 2 No. 2,” Beethoven’s “Sonata No. 1 in D Major for Violin and Piano Op. 12 No. 1”, Schumann’s “Fantasiestücke Op. 73,” and Ravel’s “Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 2 in G Major.”

Perlman also likely will perform a few other pieces that he will announce from the stage during the program. Certainly, they will only be from composers whose work he admires.
“My first falling-in-love-with composer was Brahms,” the violinist says. “When I was young I thought his work was amazing. READ MORE

Recently Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu joined Itzhak and Toby Perlman to announce the seventeen Genesis Prize winners of the Itzhak Perlman’s Breaking Barriers Competition to promote the inclusion of people with disabilities in all aspects of Jewish communal life.
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“The work of Itzhak Perlman and the Genesis Prize gives hope for the next generation of activists and artists and spotlights the importance of universal Jewish values,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at the ceremony.

The competition is a part of the Breaking Barriers initiative, funded by the prize money awarded to Genesis Prize laureate Perlman and supported by Matan – United Way Israel and the Jewish Funders Network.

“People with disabilities are citizens who deserve equal rights,” Perlman said at Sunday’s ceremony. “If we fight for their rights, we can expand their opportunities and we will give them the tools to contribute to society – this is the Israel we all want to see for ourselves and our children.”

The array of winners were mostly from the musical world, with organizations like the Vertigo Dance Association, the Orna Porat theater and the Jerusalem Conservatory Hassadna among the group of honorees.

This is keeping with Perlman’s two passions: inclusiveness for all and a love of music.

Matan – United Way Israel will help distribute the prize money (totaling NIS 3.2 million) to the various organizations and, along with Perlman and the Genesis Prize Foundation, helped select the winners after over 70 applications were received.

Ahuva Yanai, CEO of Matan – United Way Israel, said, “I’m grateful to the Genesis Prize and maestro Itzhak Perlman for entrusting that we will stay true to the vision of selecting organizations that connect both advocating for disabilities and the classical arts. At Matan, we feel we have a special responsibility to help organizations create change for the advancement of Israeli society as a whole and especially for those with special needs.”

Sana Britavsky, deputy CEO of the Genesis Prize Foundation, agreed, saying, “The uniqueness of Itzhak Perlman’s initiative is that the selected projects aim to raise the standards of cultural content provided to the disabled in Israel as high as possible.

These are courageous initiatives that aspire to use art as a tool to expose the full spiritual potential of those with disabilities – for their benefit and for the benefit of all of Israeli society.

“Encouraging excellence and repairing the world are integral parts of the vision of the Genesis Prize,” she added.

Genesis Prize committee chairman and Jewish Agency head Natan Sharansky said,“Thank you to Itzhak Perlman for giving all these Israeli organizations a chance to let their participants connect to the rest of society. His leadership strengthens the Genesis Prize’s message to show that connecting with your Jewish roots is more relevant than ever.”

Last year Israel’s Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu presented the 2016 Genesis Prize to Itzhak Perlman. Over 500 Israeli and international dignitaries attended the ceremony, which was emceed by the prominent British actress Dame Helen Mirren.

The Genesis Prize honors exceptional individuals who have attained excellence in their professional field, have made a significant contribution to humanity, and serve as an inspiration to others through their dedication to Jewish values and the State of Israel. Established in 2013, the annual Prize carries a $1 million award and has been dubbed by Time Magazine as the “Jewish Nobel.”

“When I was growing up in Tel Aviv, my parents were poor, and to get enough food was a constant challenge. I remember care packages arriving from an aunt in Toronto: home-made chicken soup in a jar, a can of Del Monte fruit cocktail with that red cherry, and a check for a few dollars. We were recipients of charity. We were on the other side of giving. We were receiving.

Besides the constant struggle to survive there was always at in the corner of our tiny apartment a “push-kele” for the Jewish National Fund. My parents would put in a penny or two when they could spare it. Giving tzedakah was a way of life, whether you could afford it or not. It was tradition. It was what we do.

It’s funny. Even though my circumstances have changed since I was a poor kid in Tel Aviv, those two childhood lessons still inform my life. I remain focused on getting enough to eat and the act of giving tzedaka. It won’t surprise you that I have little trouble these days finding enough to eat. The moral obligation to give charity is one that I take seriously.

It is a lesson that we Jews learn early. It starts in nursery school and continues until the day we die. Sometimes even after that. Somehow I know that after 20 years in the ground, I’ll still be getting requests from the United Jewish Appeal. “Itzhak, answer the phone! We know you’re there!”

It reminds me of the story I always tell at all fundraisers of the Jewish couple who are going on vacation from New York to Hawaii. In the middle of the flight the pilot comes up and says, “Folks, I have some bad news and some good news. The bad news is that we lost two engines and we have to land earlier than we planned, and we’re going to be over the ocean. But the good news is that when I was flying during the Second World War, I knew an island that was unchartered and we can land there. Of course, the problem is whether anybody will find us.”

So Mrs. Goldberg turns to Mr. Goldberg and she says, “Moshe, did you do the usual annual pledge of $100,000 to the UJA?” He said, “Yes, I did, dear.” “Did you pay it yet?” He said, “Not yet.” “Don’t worry, they’ll find us.” It’s not a true story, but it could be.

The charity we received from our Canadian cousins was not my only childhood experience with receiving tzedakah. When I was a student at The Julliard School in New York, a lady of means helped me out by providing taxi money to and from the school and funds for books and sheet music. It wasn’t a lot of money, but it made a difference.

She was not Jewish. She did not want anything in return. I suspect she had a soft spot for me because she had lost her daughter to polio. However, I’m sure that she influenced me. Her generosity did two things: it deepened my commitment to giving, and it also made me curious about the larger concept of charity and how it affects not just the recipient but also the giver. Her pure agenda taught me something about giving, and the Genesis Prize has given me an opportunity to make some of my dreams come true; to help others the way I was helped.

We have been hard at work trying to figure out how to make the most of this prize. You know, this prize is to give you the money and you have to give it right back, so it’s a good challenge. There are so many good causes, but one of the wonderful aspects of being given this prize is that I get to choose who, where and what I want to support.

You will not find my answers surprising. What is closest to my heart is not a secret. Classical music is my life and so are the problems of the disabled. Developing new talent is something my wife, Toby, and I have always supported through the Perlman Music Program. Our goal has always been to nurture a new generation of world-class musicians.

A portion of the award funds will be invested in developing superior training for talented musicians in Israel, to give them an opportunity to grow and bring their talents to the world stage as well. It’s continuing the growth of music and culture here in this country.

Another portion of the award will be invested in creating a better and fairer world for men, women and children with disabilities. To fully support those with disabilities and work with them to tear down barriers in their path, both attitudinal and physical.

In the coming weeks, you will hear details about some very exciting initiatives in both culture and music, and the establishment of a partnership with Matan in Israel and the Jewish Funders Network in the United States, which will lead to significant investment in supporting persons with disabilities.

I think of charity two ways. There is global charity – that’s the Bill Gates type, when one gives a giant amount to a large organization that helps thousands of people one does not know and will never meet. Don’t get me wrong, that’s important. Wherever the money goes to – cancer research, vaccinations for kids or mosquito netting to prevent malaria – lives are being saved.

Then there is the more personal type of tzedakah. That is what the woman from Detroit did. She gave knowing what it would mean to me. It didn’t save my life, but it changed my life. Which is better? Of course, both. Both types fulfill critical needs and both are worthy of our prayers.

Thank you, everyone, for this honor. The physical prize is wonderful, but what I will cherish even more is the opportunity you have given me to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others. I am humbled and honored to receive this award.”

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Fans, players, and coaches are all reminded just why they love this game. The Mets are a part of the Grapefruit League. Their training facility is First Data Field in Port St. Lucie, Florida. First Data Field is located in Port St. Lucie, FL, a prime location for a great Florida experience. Port St. Lucie is only a couple of hours away from Orlando and minutes away from Hutchinson Island beaches and the PGA Village.

Mr. Perlman and pianist Rohan DeSilva perform at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale on Thursday, March 9, 2017 at 8 PM. BUY TICKETS NOW